Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Odds, Preview, Prediction
Hawks vs. 76ers Odds
| Hawks Odds | +3 |
| 76ers Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 215.5 |
| Date | Friday, Oct. 29 |
| Time | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
On Saturday evening, the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers will battle at Wells Fargo Center. Atlanta enters play 3-2, with both of their losses coming on the road. Philadelphia has won three of their first five contests, suffering a loss to the Brooklyn Nets at home and a loss to the New York Knicks on the road , Oddsmakers anticipate a tightly-contested affair between these two teams, pricing Philadelphia as three-point home favorites on the spread.
Let’s take a closer look at the matchup between the two teams and see where NBA bettors can find value at sportsbooks for this Saturday night game in Philadelphia.
Atlanta Hawks (+3)
In five games this year, Trae Young is averaging 24.2 points and 10.0 assists, but he is shooting only 44.7 percent from the floor and only 29.6 percent from the perimeter. John Collins has been excellent for Atlanta on the low-block, averaging a double-double with 17.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. The Hawks have plenty of depth with five players averaging double-digits in points and eight players contributing at least 7.0 points per night. However, poor shooting from the majority of the roster has resulted in Atlanta ranking a mediocre 11th in offensive efficiency.
Defensively, the Hawks are allowing only 102.6 points per 100 possessions, which ranks ninth-best in the NBA. The Hawks have been strong on the glass, ranking eighth in defensive rebounding percentage, and should have an advantage against a Philadelphia team that plays much smaller without Ben Simmons in the lineup.
Philadelphia 76ers (-3)
Philadelphia blitzed the hapless New Orleans Pelicans on opening night, but blew a double-digit lead to the Brooklyn Nets two nights later. The 76ers rebounded for a double-digit win against the Oklahoma City Thunder before getting slaughtered by the New York Knicks. Philadelphia took care of the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, and have another opportunity this evening for their first winning streak of the new campaign.
Joel Embiid has once again paced this roster, averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He has had plenty of help from the rest of this roster on the offensive end, with seven players averaging at least 9.8 points per game. Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, and Furkan Korkmaz are each contributing double-digit points as this group has tried to make up for the absence of Simmons, their third leading scoring from a season ago.
Philadelphia ranks only 20th in defensive efficiency through five games this year. They have struggled to defend the three-point line, allowing opponents to shoot 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. Simmons was one of the best point guards in the league last year on the defensive end of the floor. While the 76ers have been able to make up for his production on the offensive side of the ball, they are sorely missing his ability to neutralize the opponent’s best player on the wing. If there is one thing that this team has done well, it has been playing defense without fouling. Philadelphia ranks in the top-10 in opponent free throws attempted per night. Against a player such as Trae Young, it will be important to be disciplined and keep him from getting into a rhythm with easy shots at the foul line.
Hawks vs. 76ers Pick
Both of these teams have been volatile betting options early in the season. Instead of playing the side in this game, bettors should turn their attention to the total, which is mispriced by at least a few points. Atlanta has been far less efficient on the offensive end of the floor this year compared to last year. Entering play, the Hawks rank 22nd in pace and the 76ers have played at the slowest pace in the entire NBA. Expect Atlanta’s shooting struggles to continue and for the slow pace of this game to result in a low-scoring affair. Take the under.
PICKS: Under 218.5 (-110)
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